what did you like about Arcanum

Discussion in 'Arcanum Discussion' started by grandaddy, Apr 26, 2007.

Remove all ads!
Support Terra-Arcanum:

GOG.com

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
  1. grandaddy

    grandaddy New Member

    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2006
    grandaddy, Apr 26, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 26, 2007
    #1
    what do you like about arcanum and what do you think makes it special

    for me it was the "open planned" style and that you had to travel to a location not just go through a door way and have the game load up the next area also you could if you were board you could go on a rampage and kill evryone causeing you to screw up the story and basicaly you could do pretty well anything you wanted

    offtopic: if you made a player with all of the magic spells and all of the tech stuff would he or she be nutral tech magic bias?
     
    grandaddy, Apr 26, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 26, 2007
    #1
  2. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Dark Elf, Apr 26, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 26, 2007
    #2
    Pretty much what you described. The dialogue and the fact that choices have consequences. It's not like NWN2 in which you're basically railroaded from start to finish.

    There's no way you could acquire *all* spells and technological disciplines/skills on any one character (unless you use the patch that removes the level cap, but I can't be bothered to do the math). Anyway, even if you did, most of your spells would be useless due to the crippled aptitude.

    Some spells, such as the first spell of each elemental school, are unaffected by aptitude though.
     
    Dark Elf, Apr 26, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 26, 2007
    #2
  3. Xz

    Xz Monkey Admin Staff Member

    Messages:
    5,085
    Likes Received:
    4
    Joined:
    May 31, 2003
    Xz, Apr 26, 2007
    Xz, Apr 26, 2007
    #3
    Could also be possible through the use of the save game editor.
     
    Xz, Apr 26, 2007
    Xz, Apr 26, 2007
    #3
  4. Blinky969

    Blinky969 Active Member

    Messages:
    4,132
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2003
    Blinky969, Apr 27, 2007
    Blinky969, Apr 27, 2007
    #4
    think it might be tech biased.
     
    Blinky969, Apr 27, 2007
    Blinky969, Apr 27, 2007
    #4
  5. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    #5
    Oh, what the hell...

    Tech Skills: Firearms, Pick Locks, Disarm Trap, Repair = 20 character points = 100 Aptitude.

    Tech Disciplines: 8 x 7 = 56 character points = 280 Aptitude

    TOTAL TECH APTITUDE = 380*

    Magick Spells: 16 x 5 = 80 character points = 400 Aptitude.

    *However, tech skills give aptitude at a rate of 5-6-5-6 (or is it 6-5-6-5...? Whatever). But to acquire full bars in all tech skills you need to spend 76 character points, half of which being 38, meaning that:

    TOTAL TECH APTITUDE = 418

    TOTAL MAGICK APTITUDE = 400
     
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    #5
  6. grandaddy

    grandaddy New Member

    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2006
    grandaddy, Apr 27, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 27, 2007
    #6
    i agree in the NWN series you were forced to go down a particular path but the graphics are good

    if only we could do a arcanum mod...
     
    grandaddy, Apr 27, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 27, 2007
    #6
  7. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    #7
    I'm sorry for coming off as a grumpy old Codexer, but neat little shiny graphics pale compared to decent gameplay. Of course, I wouldn't mind good graphics in a game with meaningful choices and consequences, but when it's apparent that they've ditched the essentials in favor of TEH GRAFIX (like, for instance, Oblivion) it simply doesn't rock my boat.

    if only we could do a arcanum mod...[/quote]

    I'm in the planning stages of one. The chance that I'll ever finish it, even with the fairly modest scope I've planned for it, is probably less than 5%, but hey, at least I'm working on it!
     
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 27, 2007
    #7
  8. rroyo

    rroyo Active Member

    Messages:
    3,319
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2006
    rroyo, Apr 28, 2007
    rroyo, Apr 28, 2007
    #8
    Way to go D.E.!
     
    rroyo, Apr 28, 2007
    rroyo, Apr 28, 2007
    #8
  9. grandaddy

    grandaddy New Member

    Messages:
    35
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2006
    grandaddy, Apr 28, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 28, 2007
    #9
    graphics are not evrything a game with good graphics and a crap story or impossable gameplay will not work where as arcanum with its now dated graphics is still played because of its brillien story

    the first NWN was the first 3D rpg i played and i enjoyed the change form static birds eye camara to 3rd person but with the better graphics it lost some of the rpg thing (i dont know how to put it into words) meaning that you had one ending no matter what and no choics that would effect you sutch as in fallout 1 you had about 150 days to fix the water chip but if you found the merchent that increased by about 70 but later on in the game where you have to stop the mutents in 500 days it would be reduced to 400 because you told the merchents were vault 13 was
     
    grandaddy, Apr 28, 2007
    grandaddy, Apr 28, 2007
    #9
  10. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Dark Elf, Apr 28, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 28, 2007
    #10
    Yes, choices and consequences, what separates real RPG's from stuff like ProgressQuest.
     
    Dark Elf, Apr 28, 2007
    Dark Elf, Apr 28, 2007
    #10
  11. Slaughter

    Slaughter New Member

    Messages:
    36
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2007
    Slaughter, Apr 30, 2007
    Slaughter, Apr 30, 2007
    #11
    Greeting to all of those that dwell within the House of Lords. My name's Slaughter, and I'm new here!

    The Atmosphere, no doubt. I love that '1800 with magic and elves and orcs' feeling. Arcanum has a original atmosphere, not the generic 'Elves and orcs on Medieval Age with no originality whatsoever'
     
    Slaughter, Apr 30, 2007
    Slaughter, Apr 30, 2007
    #11
  12. Langolier

    Langolier Member

    Messages:
    480
    Likes Received:
    3
    Joined:
    Mar 9, 2003
    Langolier, Apr 30, 2007
    Langolier, Apr 30, 2007
    #12
    I like Arcanum for all of the reasons listed above. The atmosphere, the freedom, the gameplay; everything. I don't think I'll ever have Arcanum removed from my computer. As of late I've been hooked on Oblivion myself. It's not quite as broad in it's choices as Arcanum is, but it is a reasonable substitute for the time being. It does at least give me the hope that another game like Arcanum could be made on a next-gen system.
     
    Langolier, Apr 30, 2007
    Langolier, Apr 30, 2007
    #12
  13. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Dark Elf, May 1, 2007
    Dark Elf, May 1, 2007
    #13
    My main gripe with Oblivion is that choices rarely have consequences.
    (like, you become the head of the mage guild yet the academy battlemages still greet you as the guild's latest recruit etc). I also heard that there is a thieves guild quest where you must steal the archmage's staff - even if you are the archmage! You didn't even have the staff before - it magically appears in your room at the academy when you accept the quest!
     
    Dark Elf, May 1, 2007
    Dark Elf, May 1, 2007
    #13
  14. Madness

    Madness New Member

    Messages:
    368
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jul 6, 2006
    Madness, May 2, 2007
    Madness, May 2, 2007
    #14
    I loved the go anywhere kill anyone feel just the reason why I love Fallout
     
    Madness, May 2, 2007
    Madness, May 2, 2007
    #14
Our Host!